Trinity Sunday - 2021

A Video by

Dr. Brant Pitre 

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Pentecost - 2021

PRAYER for the

BAPTISM of the

HOLY SPRIT

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Risen Jesus Appears to Mother Mary

Although not mentioned in scripture, there is a devout tradition that believes that the first person Jesus appeared to after his resurrection was his mother Mary. St. Ignatius indicates this in his Spiritual Exercises. In his meditations on the resurrection of Jesus Ignatius directs that the meditation for the first apparition of the risen Jesus is to his mother Mary.  Saint John Paul II suggested that the absence of Mary from the group of women who approached the tomb at dawn constitute an indication that she had already met Jesus?” (General Audience, 21 May 1997)   These are my thoughts arising from my meditations this Easter. It begins with this scripture text: When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. John 19.26 Some time the next day could it be that Jesus now raised from the dead appears to Mary? Could it also be that Mary, now staying with John, told John that Jesus was risen, that he came to her and comforted her?  Perhaps John was doubtful of her revelation, thinking that in her grief Mary was imagining things.  Then Mary Magdalene arrives to tell John and Peter that she has just returned from visiting Jesus’ tomb and his body is missing. Peter and John immediately rush off to see what was going on. As they ran to the tomb, might John now be mulling over what mother Mary had told him earlier, that Jesus has risen? The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself.  Then the other disciple, (John) who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet (up until now) they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.  John 20:4-10  He saw (confirming what Mary had been telling him) and believed. Mary the first evangelist of the Incarnation now becomes the first evangelist of the Resurrection of Jesus. MORE INFORMATION: . . . LINK . . .

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Ascension - 2021

Pentecost Novena  LINK

Commentary on Ascension  LINK

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Pentecost Novena

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Sixth Sunday of Easter - 2021

Before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. During the supper, Jesus said to the disciples: “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15.9) Take a few moments and consider how this word of Jesus, "... abide ..."  is reflected in your faith life. Am I abiding in Jesus love? Using these different meanings of the word abide, just how close, deep is my union in the love of Jesus? 1. to remain; continue; stay 2. to have one's abode; dwell; reside: 3. to continue in a particular condition, attitude, relationship, etc.; to last. 4. to put up with; tolerate; stand: 5. to endure, sustain, or withstand without yielding or submitting: 6. to wait for; await: 7. to accept without opposition or question: 8. to pay the price or penalty of; suffer for. 9. abide by,     a. to act in accord with.     b. to submit to; agree to:     c. to remain steadfast or faithful to; keep:   Dr. Brant Pitre's commentary for today's 2nd Reading. . . "Was it necessary for Jesus to be crucified in order to save us?" ... LINK ...

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Fifth Sunday of Easter - 2021

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. One of the fruits that we experience as a result of our remaining in union with Jesus is the consolation we feel deep within our souls. Let us look for a moment at this notion of consolation. St. Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuits, developed a special approach to prayer in the form of a thirty-day retreat, called the Spiritual Exercises. In this time of carefully constructed prayer, those who were considering becoming Jesuits would finalize their decision. The key to this decision making through prayer was what Ignatius called the experience of the Consolation of the Holy Spirit. The person praying would make their decision, then that person would look for confirmation that their decision was the right and true decision, pleasing to God. Confirmation of their decision would be given by God through this Consolation caused by the Holy Spirit. St. Ignatius describes consolation this way.  I call it consolation when an interior movement is aroused in the soul, by which it is inflamed with love of its Creator and Lord, and as a consequence, can love no creature on the face of the earth for its own sake, but only in the Creator of them all ….. I call consolation every increase of faith, hope, and love, and all interior joy that invites and attracts to what is heavenly and to the salvation of one’s soul by filling it with peace and quiet in its Creator and Lord. As these effects were being experienced, the one praying knew for certain their choice was God’s choice for them. Even though we are not thinking about joining the Jesuits, that does not mean we cannot experience the benefits of this way of prayer. We all must make important decisions in our lives and we want them to be the right decision; in harmony with God’s will. So, we too can go to God and ask for guidance; and here, Ignatius’ way of praying for guidance can be most helpful. The key here is listening for God’s Voice with our hearts. We have already worked out our decision in our heads; the pros, the cons etc.; now it is the heart’s turn to way in. Our hearts tell us by a deep and certain peace, by a strong conviction, a calm, consoling belief that the Spirit is with us, confirming our decision. With that we can now act. The final test will be in the fruits of our decision. Only good vines produce good fruit. The fruits of the Spirit are our final discernment. That brings us to today’s gospel and Jesus’ example to the vines and their fruit: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.” In his rules for discernment, St. Ignatius points out that when we get off the track of the good decisions we make in service of the Lord the Spirit withdraws the consolation we are enjoying, prunes it so that we see and understand our mistakes and correct them.  It is in knowing Jesus, knowing the gospels, knowing the works and fruits of the Spirit describe in the scriptures that we learn to recognize the Voice of consolation speaking in our hearts: the VOICE of charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity. It is by these fruits that we are able to hear the Spirit’s Voice of Consolation. More on Praying Scripture . . . LINK . . .

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Video Commentary on this Sunday's Readings 2nd.Reading:  . . . LINK . . . Gospel: . . . LINK . . .